Night Owl
by McBrideReedusLover
Summary: Caryl AU set in Alexandria verse. Rated E for adult situations, profanity etc. Daryl is still missing along with Abe, Sasha and Glenn. Carol waits every night for him to come home. Will he? Find out.
1. Chapter 1

**Night Owl**

 _ **A/N: I'm always in the mood to write, let's get this straight. But my problem, with all fics I do, I re-read them and realize like 100 problems and I just lose all will because I screwed up so bad already. So I'm going to try my hardest, my absolute hardest, not to make stupid mistakes. I'm rusty, for fic writing, but I'll try. BTW, if you ever have any one-shot prompts, I'd totally be okay with gathering some for y'all and writing them when I can. :) Just PM me.~**_

 _ **This is set in Alexandria, a bit AUish, though. I'm thinking no tower collapse, you know, actual happiess. For now anyway.**_

 _ **McBrideReedusLover.~**_

 _"I like being up there."_

 _"Even with all them outside?"_

 _"You can see everything. Even inside."_

She thought back to that conversation as she stood, stationed at the makeshift watch tower, if you could call it that. More like a tall stand, really. Her eyes scanned the beyond, the thick bush beyond the road. It was hard to see anything, however, with how dark it was. The only light beyond the fences was that of the moon, which was full tonight.

A sigh passed her lips, visible as the nights had grown colder. The mist dissipated almost as soon as it left her body and ventured into the night air. He still wasn't back. They, she should say, weren't back. Selfishly, the widow was more worried about the gentle hunter than she was the others. However, she wished them a safe return as well. And Glenn, wherever he may be. That boy was a smart one, quick on his feet. She had no doubt he was still alive out there... Somewhere.

Truth be told, Carol didn't know what was between her and Daryl. Since the quarry, there was something between them, that only grew the passing weeks. It wasn't until she was cast away that what they had, the deep emotional connection, had been cut off. He was distant, different. She had the idea that it had to do with the youngest Greene girl, god rest her soul. It was a loss for them all, but hit Daryl, and Maggie of course, the hardest. Since then, Daryl grew distant, refusing to speak to anyone really.

Then they found this place. A place she was still having trouble accepting. False security is how she viewed it. There were weak points, beginning with the people. No one knew how to protect themselves, and sure, they were learning, but would they be able to perform in the events of an attack? Another one, she should say. So many people had been lost, because no one knew defense. Carol broke her role to save these people, even if she couldn't save them all.

Olivia was the only woman left from the little housewife clique. Carol had been too late to save the other women, and it left even more marks deep inside. She honestly didn't know how much more she could take before she broke.

Bringing the binoculars back to her eyes, she scanned the area again. Aside from the roamers, there was nothing. No sign of the group, or the people they'd lost. She swallowed hard, and looked to the sky.

 _"Right there." The archer pointed to the sky, to a star brighter than the rest. "That's the North Star." The small smile on his face gave her butterflies. The way he lit up as he talked about the different constellations. She had no idea that Daryl Dixon knew so much about the sky and space._

 _"So... It's part of the little dipper?" Carol tilted her head, staring up at the aligned stars. She would've never known that had he not told her._

 _"Yep." Daryl nodded his head, glancing over at her. "Look to it, and y'can just... Feel somethin', y'know? Like, it's a guide. Whenever I'd get lost, I'd look to it and find my way back. If y'ever lost, follow it."_

 _"Wow..." Her smile grew as she continued to stare. "It's beautiful." Her eyes went to him. The star wasn't the only thing that was beautiful. Though if she ever spoke such a word about him, he'd have a fit. Men didn't take kindly to being called beautiful, after all. It was a 'girly' term, after all._

 _"Yeah... Don't forget about it. It'll get you where you need to go. And lead you to what you seek."_

As she stared at that bright North Star, she almost could swear she felt him near. Like he was looking at it too, wherever he was. She could feel his presence, and it brought a comfort to her. The corners of her lip turned up in a smile. He was definitely watching that star, following it, hopefully back to her.

The somewhat unstable stand began to shake, and she tore her gaze from the star, to see the only remaining Greene step up the ladder. The poor girl looked so tired. She could see the rims of her eyes were red. She felt for the brunette. They only just got a sense of normalcy, when it all went to hell. Her love was gone, and no one knew where he was. If he was okay.

"Hey." Carol greeted her in a soft tone.

"Hey..." Maggie looked towards the road, ignoring the groans of the walkers at the fence. "Any signs?" Carol could tell by her tone, she knew the answer to that question already.

"No, unfortunately..." Carol murmured, taking the binoculars and passing them to the young woman. "I'm sure they'll turn up eventually... The ones left are one of our strongest. Daryl, Abe and Sasha, they're fighters. They can do it. And Glenn, you know he's smart."

Maggie swallowed hard, focusing on the long stretch of road ahead. "I know he is... But he would've made it back by now. Wouldn't he? It's been a few days now, he has to have found his way back. He has to..."

"Maggie, don't give up hope. He would never leave you." Carol offered a smile, and placed her hand on the girls arm. "He loves you. And I can feel it, he's out there trying to get back to you. He can't exactly get in here safely, with all of them surrounding us, you know? Maybe he's just waiting it out..."

The younger girl chose to stay silent, not wanting to talk any further about the possibilities of where her husband may be. "You don't have to stay up here, Carol. You can go now, I'll take over..."

Carol knew she couldn't stay up here all night, no matter how much she wanted to. "You're probably right... I'll leave you to it then, I guess. Just... If they come back..."

"I'll be sure to let you know." The brunette offered a tired smile. Everyone knew of Carol's feelings towards the hunter. But no one knew where Daryl stood. Hell, Daryl probably didn't even know where he stood on the matter. "Now go on."

Giving a nod, Carol descended down the ladder. She hoped Daryl was okay out there. As she made her way to the house she shared with the Grimes and Michonne, she looked back to the star. She could still feel him when she saw it.

"Come home." Her words were soft, quiet, barely audible to even her own ears. With one final sigh, she headed into the house to hopefully get some sleep.

 **~Night Owl~**

The hunter closed his eyes, swearing that he could hear her voice. When he looked to that star, he felt her. Somehow he knew the two of them were staring at it. Almost a way of communication. But they were stuck in this god forsaken city. The dead surrounded the perimeter, and they had no means of escape. Two days now they've been waiting them out, but they just wouldn't disperse. They stayed huddled, hungry groans filling the night air.

Pushing away from the window, he went to the back of the room, to the couch that he chose to occupy as his bed. They needed to get out of here. Somehow. Sneak into a vehicle, get back to them. Back to her. It took being away from her like this, to realize his true feelings. The moments he was away from her were the hardest, and the longest moments of his life. The pain he felt was far worse than anything he had experienced before.

He laid back, arms going behind his head. He stared at the ceiling, thinking of her, thinking of the two of them together. Different times they spent together.

He knew he'd grown distant. Too caught up in his own grief to be around her, be with her. He was selfish, for acting the way he had. Clearly, she was hurting far worse than he was. Her eyes told it all. No matter how hard Carol tried to hide it, he could see that crippling pain in her gaze.

But instead of being there for her, he ran. Like he always did. He always ran away from his problems, like a fucking coward. He vowed, when he got back to her, he would be there for her. Daryl Dixon would no longer run away from her. No. He was going to be there, and help her get over the pain she felt. He would be her rock. Feeling satisfied with this new conclusion, he drifted off into sleep.

 _Her gasps filled the room, shattering the silence. Her breaths were shaky, deep with each move he made. Her nails were like claws, breaking the skin, but in a way that he welcomed. Her legs were shaking as they got tighter around his hips, like she was trying to pull him deeper than he already was. Her soft lips left small kisses on his shoulder, before they pressed to his ear._

 _"I love you, Daryl..." Her words were sweet, and everything he dreamed to hear. "I love you..." He whimpered when she spoke it again. "Come on..." She coaxed him. "Come on... Come on..."_

"Come on, Daryl!" A rough kick to his foot roused him from his slumber. He narrowed his eyes, the light damn near blinding him. It took a moment to focus on the red haired male before him. Clearly, he seemed pissed.

"The fuck you want?" Daryl growled, a little pissed off himself that he'd been taken out of such a dream. He had those dreams a lot lately. Always the same scenario.

"The walkers wandered down a ways. If you would get you ass in gear, we could take this chance and get the hell out and back home!" Abraham seemed to growl right back. That was a man who was even worse than Daryl when it came to temper. He would go head to heat with Daryl and have no fear whatsoever.

A huff left him as he sat up, running a hand through his hair. He grabbed his bow, slinging it over his shoulder. "Well then lets go!" He pushed past the taller man, heading for the main room where Sasha was waiting for the two of them. Finally, they would be able to get home.

Finally, he could get back to her.

 _ **A/N: Well, chapter 1! Hope you guys enjoyed it. Chapter 2 soon. (Possibly right after this one idk yet we shall see)**_

 _ **McBrideReedusLover.~**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Night Owl**

 _ **A/N: Chapter 2! Woo lets do this, right guys?!**_

 _ **McBrideReedusLover.~**_

Carol stepped out of the little office, letting out a breath. The meeting had been rather intense, especially between her and Morgan. The two of them were total opposites in how they viewed the world. She could understand where he was coming from, but not all life was precious. No, the lives of those Wolves who killed their family, they weren't precious. They all deserved death. And if he couldn't see that... He was going to cause them all a major problem.

She rubbed her forehead, heading towards the lookout stand. Maybe he'd show up today. Just as she was climbing, she saw a car in the distance. The same car they took to distract the large herd of walkers. Hope filled her heart, and she hurried to find Rick. They would need to draw the walkers away from the gate in order for the car to enter safely.

"Rick!" She was running, gripping the rifle she carried with her, to keep it from bouncing around on her back. "The car, it's them! They're back." She panted, looking to him for guidance. He too, started to run then, gathering people along the way to distract the walkers. Her, she went to the gate, smiling to herself when the car pulled up.

With the walkers successfully distracted, she opened the gate, motioning for them to hurry. As soon as they entered, she locked it shut, hurrying for the car. Finally, Daryl was home.

Abe and Sasha stepped out of the vehicle. She was relieved that they were safe, yes. But there was something wrong. She knew it. Her mind immediately flashed back to the prison, when Daryl had left with his brother. She'd been worried sick back then, and she was worried sick.

The smile faded, and she walked over to the large man. "Daryl..."

He looked down at her, and he looked sorry. God, was he dead? She couldn't handle something like that.

"Thought we were safe. We had been, it was clear. Just as he was coming for the car, they all just... Flooded in. Told us to go and he ran for it. We couldn't wait for him, Carol. Sorry." His large hand found her shoulder, as a way of comfort.

Typical Daryl. Had to be the hero, didn't he? Damn him. She shrugged the hand from her shoulder, and walked coolly towards the house. On her way, she passed Morgan. She met his gaze, her hurt disappearing momentarily, being replaced with disgust. He looked down, and she continued on her way.

Carol waited until she was in the safety of her room, before she let her emotions loose. The tears slid down her cheeks slowly, dropping onto her shirt. "Idiot." She whispered, shaking her head. He always did this. Played the hero. Too many times she'd almost lost him because of it. With Sophia, he was nearly killed, twice. Now he was alone again, and who knows how far away.

Wiping her eyes, she looked up at the ceiling. "You better make it back, you hear me?" She stated into the silence, like he could hear her. She felt so many emotions. Anger, hurt, distress. It all flooded her like a tidal wave. She laid back on the bed, her arm now covering her eyes. She just prayed he made it back soon, and alive. Or else she'd go out there, and she'd find him herself.

 **~Night Owl~**

Daryl leaned against a tree, panting rather heavily. He'd managed to outrun the herd for now, but who knows how long it'd be before they were back on his tail. It figured that he couldn't have a break. If there was a God, he was a jackass. Punching the bark on the tree out of frustration, he huffed.

There was a snap, and he whipped around, bow raised and at the ready. His finger was on the trigger, ready to pull and send the arrow flying.

The body emerged from the bush, and he lowered his weapon, as did the other. He couldn't really believe his eyes. He glanced around, before he walked towards the familiar face.

"What the hell are you doin' out here? I thought you'd be back with the rest of 'em." Daryl shook his head, and clapped the Korean on the shoulder.

"Shit went south, as you'd say." Glenn grinned, and wiped his brow. "Got separated from the group, and then got surrounded. I hid under a dumpster for days, Daryl." He exclaimed. The information caused Daryl to smirk, regardless of how exhausted and angry he was.

"Explains why you smell like one of them, then." The archer, relaxed slightly. "We ain't gonna be alone for long. Got a herd the size of Texas headin' for my ass. We gotta go. Find out way back."

Glenn nodded his head, and pointed behind Daryl. "You were going the wrong way, dumbass." He chuckled quietly. "That's the way home. Or at least, the way to one of the markers. If we can get there, we can signal we're almost home. They can help us."

Daryl wasn't about to argue. He nodded his head, turning to walk with the younger man. Both of them were eager to get home, and get to the women that they loved.

 **~Night Owl~**

Carol was walking the streets with Judith in her arms, when Maggie rushed past. The look on her face was that of excitement and hope. Her eyes went to the sky, where she saw a dozen balloons floating by. That must mean Glenn was okay. She smiled a little. At least they knew Glenn was safe. That he was alive, and he was safe.

"Looks like Uncle Glenn is okay." Carol cooed to the infant in her arms. She seemed to just look at her. Carol could see Lori in her. Her heart ached for her fallen friend. She missed her, along with all the others they'd lost.

"Come on, Judy. Let's bring you inside." She headed for the house. She pushed open the door, and saw Carl standing by the window. Offering a smile, Carol handed over Judith. "It's your big brother. He's gonna look after you for a while now."

"Did you see those balloons?" Carl asked, balancing Judith on his hip. "One of the signs that someone is okay. Do you think it was Glenn?"

"Who else would it be?" Carol smiled, a little sadly. It likely wouldn't be Daryl. From what she heard, they weren't near the markers. "I bet he's going to be here by tonight."

Satisfied with Carol's response, Carl took Judith upstairs. That left Carol on her own. She didn't want to dwell on how Daryl was out there alone, so she decided to cook. Cooking took her to a different world. She always would cook or bake back before the world ended. It was a good distraction from how her life was. How it had all turned out.

Stepping into the kitchen, she noticed a note, along with two little bars of chocolate. Her brows furrowed as she picked up the paper. It was written in crayon, and she immediately knew without even reading who it was from.

 _I stole some more chocolate for cookies. Thanks. Sam._

Rolling her eyes, she pulled out the recipe. That kid and his damn cookies. He was obsessed. With the cookies and with her it seemed. He hung around her more than his own mother. She tried her hardest to push him away, distance herself from another child. She already suffered three losses, she didn't need to add another to that list.

Preheating the oven, she got to work, making the cookie dough, portioning it onto a baking sheet. She went so far as to hum to keep out the silence. As she normally did, she was lost in the process. She didn't even realize that it was almost dark by the time she finished all the baking. With a soft sigh, she put a dozen on a different plate, and wrapped it for Sam.

Walking over to the Anderson household, she knocked on the door. She was thankful that Pete was gone. Another man like her own husband wasn't needed, especially in this world.

Jessie was the one to open the door. Carol smiled, holding out the plate. "I just came to drop by some cookies for Sam. He asked for them earlier."

"Oh, thank you, Carol. You know I'm sorry, about him. You don't have to keep doing this. I know it must be troubling for you." The woman smile, offering up an apology to which Carol just shrugged off.

"It's okay." She said softly. "I don't mind. Distracts me."

Her attention was brought towards the gate, when she heard it open. And what she saw, shocked and surprised her. But overall, she was ready to burst into tears. She couldn't stop herself, as she ran for the gate.

 **~Night Owl~**

It had taken a long time for the two of them to figure out a way to get past the walkers. Clearly, the plan had failed worse than they imagined. The walkers were all at the town, surrounding the fences, desperate to get in. But by the looks of things, it was still in tact. Nothing bad had gone down, from what they were aware of, anyway.

It was Rick who had spotted them, and cleared a path for them. They ran, getting in the gates and back into the safety of Alexandria. Both of them were sweaty, dirty, and downright exhausted.

Daryl stepped to the side when Maggie came running. He chuckled quietly when she literally knocked the kid on his ass. As annoyed as he got with their continuous displays of affection, he had to admit, it was sweet. They managed to find something worth living in this world. And it took Daryl a long ass time to realize that he'd found the same thing, with a certain silver haired fox.

Speaking of which, his eyes moved to the figure running for him. Carol. His Carol. His heart melted, and his feet were carrying him before he knew. He met her half way, arms closing around her frame. Her thin, but toned arms wound around his neck, and he held her close.

Daryl heard her sniffle, and he only hugged her tighter. He couldn't, well actually he could imagine how upset she'd been when he was gone, because he was upset too, being without her. Especially because lately, they hadn't been on the greatest terms.

"You're home." Her words were muffled against his shoulder, as she clung to him. He couldn't speak, so he just simply nodded. After they shared another long embrace like they had back after Terminus, she did something he had not at all been expecting.

She slapped him.

"What the hell?" He frowned, his hand coming up to his cheek.

"That's for being so stupid and playing hero again. You could've gotten killed, again!" There was a fury in her eyes, and it was oddly hot to him.

"Look, m'sorry. But we all would've died if I hadn't. And I didn't get killed, I'm here ain't I?" He rubbed his face, which was stinging a bit now.

Carol let out a huff, and grabbed his arm, dragging him away from the crowd and towards the house. She wanted to hear everything that happened while he was gone. All the details. They had a lot of things to talk about now. And she wouldn't rest until they were all out on the table.

 _ **A/N: Chapter 2 complete! There might only be one chapter left, now that I think about it. I don't see it going anywhere else haha. But I promise, the sweet sexy times will come next chapter!**_

 _ **McBrideReedusLover.~**_


End file.
